BANJARMASIN, Indonesia — At least 125 people are reported missing after passenger ship Virgo Transport 8 lost contact in the Java Sea while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. Developing reports say 115 people have been rescued and one person has died, as Indonesian authorities carry out a major search operation for passengers and crew still unaccounted for.
A search is underway for an Indonesian passenger ship carrying at least 240 people after it lost contact in the Java Sea while traveling from East Java to South Kalimantan on Borneo island, officials said Sunday https://t.co/uKkaoQ9Mx4 pic.twitter.com/hUkwpW0fpz
— Arab News (@arabnews) September 13, 2026
BREAKING: An Indonesian passenger vessel carrying 243 people has been reported missing after losing contact while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) September 13, 2026
🔴 More on https://t.co/OwhgaIH6vP pic.twitter.com/gy9wUO2ORi
LATEST UPDATE — September 13, 2026: Indonesian rescuers are continuing a major search in the Java Sea after Virgo Transport 8 overturned in rough weather while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
The vessel’s manifest listed 243 people aboard — 213 passengers and 30 crew members. The captain had reported rough seas, with waves reaching as high as 3 metres (10 feet), before sending a distress message saying the ship was listing. Authorities subsequently received information that the vessel had overturned.
Rescue figures remain fluid as information arrives from vessels operating around the scene. The Associated Press reported 102 people rescued and one body recovered, leaving about 140 passengers and crew unaccounted for. A later local Indonesian report said the number of people successfully evacuated had risen to 115, while confirming one death.
Nearby tugboats and other vessels are assisting the operation, while Indonesian search-and-rescue authorities have deployed additional maritime resources. Rough seas are making the operation difficult and potentially dangerous for rescue vessels.
The ferry had departed Surabaya at 10:33 a.m. Saturday and was scheduled to reach Banjarmasin at about 2 p.m. Sunday. Its last known position was approximately 148 kilometres (92 miles) from Banjarmasin.
Important: Survivor and missing-person totals are still being reconciled. The figures may change as additional people are located and authorities compare rescued passengers with the official manifest.
LATEST UPDATE — September 13, 2026: Search operations are continuing in the Java Sea for people missing from Virgo Transport 8 after the vessel lost contact early Sunday while travelling from Surabaya to Banjarmasin.
The ferry was reported to be carrying roughly 240 to 243 passengers and crew when contact was lost amid reports of bad weather. The operator alerted the Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office at approximately 4:10 a.m., triggering a response toward the vessel’s last known position about 80 nautical miles from Banjarmasin.
Developing reports say 115 people have been rescued, one person has died and about 125 remain missing. Search teams continue working to locate those unaccounted for and reconcile survivor information with the vessel’s passenger and crew manifest.
Contact with the vessel was lost early Sunday, September 13, after it reportedly encountered bad weather. More than 240 people were aboard, although early reports differ over the precise passenger and crew total. The rescue and missing-person figures therefore remain subject to official reconciliation.
Virgo Transport 8 lost contact about 80 nautical miles from Banjarmasin
Virgo Transport 8 was crossing the Java Sea from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when communications stopped at approximately 2 a.m. WITA.
Indonesian search-and-rescue information placed the vessel’s last reported position near 4°31’51.82″S, 114°2’6.88″E, about 80 nautical miles from the Basirih SAR pier in Banjarmasin. Its reported heading was 203.94 degrees.
The Associated Press reported the vessel was approximately 148 kilometres, or 92 miles, from Banjarmasin when contact was lost.
The offshore location immediately complicated the response. Initial information indicated a specialist rescue vessel could take roughly five hours to reach the search area from Banjarmasin.
115 rescued, one dead and 125 missing in latest reports
Developing updates on Sunday reported that 115 people had been rescued, one person had died and at least 125 remained missing. One person was also reported injured.
The numbers are not yet a final accounting. Indonesian reports citing search authorities have said 243 passengers and crew were aboard, while earlier international reporting cited a manifest of 241 people.
The reported 115 rescued, one dead and 125 missing add up to 241. Authorities have not yet explained the difference between that total and reports of 243 aboard, making an official reconciliation of the manifest and survivor list particularly important.
Bad weather reported before ship disappeared from contact
The operator told authorities the vessel had encountered bad weather before communication was lost. Officials have not established that weather caused the emergency.
There is also no confirmed official finding at this stage that Virgo Transport 8 sank or capsized. The vessel’s condition and the reason communications failed remain key unanswered questions.
That distinction matters during a fast-moving maritime emergency, when early information from ships, survivors and rescue teams can change significantly as authorities reach the scene.
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Emergency call triggered major Java Sea search
The Banjarmasin Search and Rescue Office received the missing-vessel report at approximately 4:10 a.m. WITA, around two hours after contact was lost. Indonesian reports identified Yoel Rihi, general manager of PT Virgo, as the person who reported the emergency.
At around 4:30 a.m., six rescuers were sent to the Basirih SAR pier before the offshore response continued aboard KN SAR Laksmana 241.
Teams prepared water-rescue equipment, two sets of diving gear, communications equipment and Starlink. The operation involves several maritime and security bodies, including KSOP Banjarmasin, Lanal Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan water police, the Banjarmasin Navigation District and PT Pelindo Banjarmasin.
Passenger manifest is now critical for families
The immediate priority is not only finding those still unaccounted for but establishing exactly who was aboard and who has already reached safety.
Authorities will need to compare survivor identities with the passenger and crew manifest before giving families a definitive missing-person count. Confirmation of the ship’s location and condition could also provide the first clear explanation of what happened.
Indonesia depends heavily on maritime links between its islands, making offshore passenger emergencies especially challenging when vessels are hours from specialist rescue bases. Recent disruption from the Anak Krakatau eruption affected transport across Indonesia, highlighting the vulnerability of major travel connections to rapidly changing natural conditions.
Passenger accounting has also been central to other recent regional maritime emergencies, including the Philippines ferry fire and search for missing passengers.
Search continues for those still unaccounted for
Rescuers are expected to focus on the vessel’s last known position while monitoring sea and weather conditions. Information from survivors could become crucial in determining what happened immediately before contact disappeared.
For families, the next significant updates will be a verified survivor list, a reconciled manifest and confirmation of Virgo Transport 8’s location. Until authorities complete that process, the figures of 115 rescued, one dead and 125 missing should be treated as developing totals rather than a final casualty count.
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